J-POP
J-Pop is a form of Japanese pop music.
Many of the popular seiyuu also sing J-Pop singles or as part of a cast group.
Many times, the term J-Pop is used when talking about bands that really play J-Rock, or Visual kei, a movement closely related to the later.
History
J-Pop's earliest roots are from Jazz music that became popular in the early Showa period. Jazz re-introduced many of the musical instruments that were previously only used to perform classical music and military marching music to bars and clubs and introduced "fun" to Japan's music scene. "Ongaku Kissa" (音楽喫茶) lit. music cafe, where musicians performed live music became popular. During World War Two, Jazz music would temporarily stop being performed under pressure from the Imperial Army. After the war, the Far East Network operated by the US Army, introduced Boogie woogie, Mambo, Blues, and Country music and these styles of music were performed by Japanese musicians to American troops stationed in Japan. Songs like Sizuko Kasaoki's "Tokyo Boogie Woogie" (1948), Chiemi Eri's "Tennesse Waltz" (1951), Hibari Misora's "Omatsuri Mambo", and Izumi Yukimura's "Omoide no Waltz" became popular. Foreign music performers like JATP and Louis Armstrong visited Japan and performed and the year 1952 was called "The Year of the Jazz Boom".
However, these new styles were not easy to learn for amateur musicians who tried to make money by performing for American troops. Many of the amateur musicians learned Country music as it was the simplest to perform. They would, however, be in a fortunate position to learn the new wave of music, R&B or more commonly Rock and roll.
The Rock and roll craze began in the 1956 with a country music group, "Kosaka Kazuya and Wagon Masters" releasing the album Heartbreak Hotel, originally performed by Elvis Presley. It would reach its peak in 1959 with the movie focusing on performances of Japanese Rock and Rollers. The downfall of Rock and roll in the US was also followed by its downfall in Japan as many groups played music that was nothing more than a cheap copy of American Rock and roll. Many perfomers turned to merging traditional Japanese pop music with Rock and Roll, with mixed or questionable results. The only successful musician to leave any impression to future generations was Sakamoto Kyu with "Ue wo muite arukou" (lit. Let's look up and walk) or Sukiyaki. Other performers decided rather than making a new music, to use the music of popular American songs and translate the lyrics into Japanese, hence the birth of "Cover Pop". Also, many of the "Jazz kissa" would start to disappear as radio and TV provided every household with performances of real musicians. They would steadily decline and until technology and a innovator gave them a new life as karaoke. "Cover Pop" became a benchmark of American music in Japan for few years, only to encounter the Beatles.
Famous J-Pop performers
(names displayed first name, family name and alphabetized by family name)
Solo
Groups
See also
